10 Fun and Delicious Ways to Use Tortillas

One of the most versatile food items in your pantry is not a spice or vegetable — it's a tortilla. Whether you stock your kitchen with flour tortillas or corn, you can expand your menu with these low cost, readily available products. (See also: Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Tortillas)

The many uses include substitutions for bread, pizza crust, and even dessert. Read on for 10 surprising ways to use tortillas in your kitchen.

1. Pizza Crust

Flour tortillas work great for a pizza crust. Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce on the tortilla and then load on your favorite toppings. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. These can even be prepared ahead of time, frozen while laying on a cookie sheet, and stored for later use. You'll never need to buy a quick frozen pizza again. (See also: 30 Pizza Sauce Alternatives)

2. Chips

Making your own tortilla chips is very easy to do. You can deep fry them for a restaurant-style taste or bake them up in the oven for a healthier alternative. Cut the tortillas into triangles. Lay on a baking sheet, and spritz with cooking spray (or skip the oil altogether). Sprinkle with salt and any spices you may like to try. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.

3. Bread Crumbs

Pulse in your food processor until tortillas are a fine consistency. Use in place of bread crumbs in recipes like meatloaf, meatballs, or as a breading for chicken tenders.

4. Dessert

Tortillas can be used in many ways to make a delicious dessert. They can be fried like chips and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar; or they can be spread with Nutella, bananas, or other fruits for a tasty treat. You can also create a wonderfully decadent crepe using tortillas that you fry in butter and spread with cream cheese and fruit before rolling up and enjoying! (See also: Ultra-Quick Homemade Desserts)

5. Sandwiches

Tortillas can be used to replace bread almost anywhere. You can use tortillas for a cheeseburger bun, for PB&J sandwiches in your kid's lunches, with lettuce, tomato, and bacon for a great lunch, or even to make grilled cheese sandwiches.

6. Croutons

Tortillas can be cut into strips and baked or fried to be added to tortilla soup, salads, or on top of chili. Spices can be added to the strips (before baking or after they have been fried and are draining) to add extra flavor to your meal.

7. Lasagna

In the mood for lasagna but don't have any noodles? Tortillas can be layered instead of noodles to make a tasty meal. You can also change up the ingredients to make it a Mexican lasagna using salsa instead of pasta sauce, plus black beans, vegetables, and sharp cheddar cheese.

8. Rollups

Tortillas can change what was a boring sandwich into something fun and appetizing. Rollups can be made with lunch meat, lettuce, and a spread like hummus, mayonnaise, or cream cheese. Roll up really tight and slice into bite-sized pieces. Rollups are great for picnics, entertaining, school lunches, or any time you need a lunch on-the-go. (See also: Great Non-Sandwich Work Lunches)

9. Wraps

Breakfast burritos are a family favorite in my house. Use flour tortillas to wrap up scrambled eggs, sauteed veggies, and cheese. In addition, tortillas can be used to wrap up chicken, lettuce, and cheese; or chicken salad. Tortillas also hold roasted veggies and shrimp that has been drizzled with a bit of a Thai peanut sauce, balsamic vinegar, or even a light vinaigrette. The ingredients that you can wrap together in a tortilla are endless. (See also: 10 Freeze-Ahead Burrito Recipes)

10. Soup Thickener

Whether ground up like bread crumbs or cut into pieces and strips, tortillas can be used to thicken things like soups, stews, and even gravies.

Tortillas are a great frugal food that can be used with virtually any meal. With these unique ways that tortillas can be used in your kitchen, your menu will never feel dull again.

We love tortillas here, a family with 4 kids. Every Friday night is "make your own pizza" night and we brown hamburger, make ranch sauce with taco seasoning, and add salsa instead of pizza sauce for a latino flair, or we use chicken and mozzerella for something more traditionally Italian. The kids can make it themselves, and watch as we put it in the oven for them. And they are yummy!

You touched on this with the sandwiches - we make Quesadilla burgers with them - again, the ranch with taco seasoning, along with all the fixings of a great burger, in a torilla (halved or wrapped around the meat.) They are very similar to Applebees' Quesadilla burgers!